In the morning, after waking up and having breakfast with the kids, it wasn't long before Ahn Tae-woo came to visit.

"Did you all sleep well?"

"The camp is definitely comfortable, compared to camping in a place where monsters might be roaming around, this is heaven."

"Haha... I'm really glad to hear that. The reason I'm here is that Miss Yu-ju has something to say to everyone. Please prepare yourselves within 20 minutes and gather in the center."

After finishing the conversation, Ahn Tae-woo hurriedly left, probably to inform others of the news as well.

The reason the regressor had gathered everyone was most likely because of the exploration she mentioned yesterday.

There wasn’t much to prepare—just slinging a bag containing equipment and food—so I took my time walking to the center with the kids.

As we walked, we overheard conversations from others moving around.

"...Why are we being called? Do you know anything?"

"No, I have no idea... Maybe they found more food and brought it back?"

Hearing the conversation between the man and woman, I let out a hollow laugh.

'Idiots.'

The only thing they could think about upon hearing a summons was the expectation of more food.

Had continuous kindness made them take it for granted?

The more I listened, the more absurd it became.

Finding no meaningful dialogue, I tuned them out.

'Even if volunteers come forward, will they be of any use?'

Most of these people were flawed—not just in terms of their status windows or abilities but in their mindset.

I hadn’t examined everyone yet, but despite not expecting much, I was already disappointed.

After gathering at the center, and once it seemed like almost everyone had arrived, the regressor finally appeared.

People's attention focused on her.

"...I’m sure you’re all wondering why I called you out so early in the morning. Before I explain, I’d like a few individuals to step forward."

She gestured toward our group, the kids and I slowly moved in her direction. Others looked curious as to why she was specifically calling us forward.

"Mr. Yun-seong and these students here will be joining me on an expedition. However, it won’t be just us this time—we are looking for additional volunteers to explore with us."

The crowd murmured at her words.

"I hope you won't be too afraid of venturing outside. I completely understand that facing monsters is terrifying, but it’s not without its benefits. Going on these explorations will be beneficial for you as well."

A man raised a question.

"Uh... beneficial? Do you mean food?"

'All these people think about is food.'

Shaking her head, she replied, “Of course, bringing food back is one kind of gain, but there’s another benefit. If you check your status windows, you’ll see that your job slots are empty. You might not know this, but killing monsters allows you to obtain a job. Just like me, you all have the potential to grow stronger. Mr. Yun-seong and these students have also gained their jobs by defeating monsters."

Some people likely already knew this.

I had heard that, while most had left, there were originally a few people in this camp who had acquired jobs. However, the majority were unaware, judging by their shocked reactions to Seo Yu-ju’s explanation.

"That’s why this is an excellent opportunity for you all. Ah, and we can’t take too many people on the expedition, so we’ll be selecting between two to four additional volunteers. If you're interested, please raise your hand."

For about 30 seconds, no one moved, but after a moment, a woman raised her hand. It was my first time seeing her in camp.

"Uh... My name is Song Ha-eun... I’m scared, but... do you think I can become strong too?"

I opened her status window.

[ Name: Song Ha-eun ]

[ Age: 22 ]

[ Job: Not yet acquired. ]

[ Title: None. ]

[ Unique Traits ]

Blessing of the Spirits (Grade Evaluation in Progress) - Spirits have an incredible fondness for you. They are always watching over you.

Perfect Mana Organ (Grade Evaluation in Progress) - Your mana organ is astonishingly pure. You receive bonuses for all mana-related actions.

[ Stats ]

Strength - 06 Agility - 09

Stamina - 08 Luck - 10

Mana - 08 Resistance - 06

'Fuck.'

Two unique traits.

Even Yu-hyun had a mana stat of just 3 at the start, and yet hers was 8—an overwhelming number.

This woman was a monster. Her trait grades were still being evaluated, so I didn’t know their exact ranking, but just from the names alone, I could tell.

'...I have to get close to her no matter what.'

I had to keep an eye on the regressor too, but to be honest, I had no shared history with her.

I felt bad for the regressor, but I needed to work my way into talented individuals first. What puzzled me, though, was that despite looking at this woman’s face, the regressor showed no reaction.

That meant...

'...Did she die early in the first timeline?'

It was a reasonable assumption. From her status window, I had initially thought she must have made a significant impact in the first timeline. However, if she had performed well after the tutorial, the regressor would have recognized her.

'Or... maybe she just lived quietly.'

"Of course, Miss Song Ha-eun. Thank you for your courage."

Despite Song Ha-eun stepping forward, no one else volunteered even after some time had passed.

The regressor seemed genuinely disappointed, as if she had expected more people to come forward.

Eventually, she started saying what she had discussed with me yesterday.

"One more thing. Due to difficulties in food supply, we will be reducing ration distributions. Food will be prioritized for those participating in the expeditions."

At first, the crowd remained silent, as if they had misheard her. Then, a few who regained their senses began to protest.

"...What?! Our rations are being cut?!"

"That’s ridiculous! Why?!"

"....."

The regressor's expression darkened considerably. It seemed she hadn’t expected people to be this shameless.

'When kindness is given repeatedly, people start to think it's a given. Though, in their case, it seems they've taken it too far.'

"...It's because there are too few people going out for exploration. There are many people, but only a limited number bring back food."

"No, but still. Do you even realize how many people here are old enough to be your parents?! How can you do this?! Would you treat your own parents this way?!"

The one speaking was an older man I had briefly seen when Ahn Tae-woo guided me.

'...He’s really bringing up family in this situation?'

There’s a reason why people say individuals can be rational, but crowds are prone to madness.

These people were so focused on the fear of losing their food supply that they had no idea who they were raising their voices at.

Predictably, the atmosphere instantly turned icy. And it wasn’t just the mood…

'Fuck... This crazy bastard! Running his mouth like that!'

"Uh, uh?!"

The old man, unable to endure the killing intent directed at him, collapsed onto the ground.

The regressor slowly walked towards him. The others, frightened by her presence, stepped back to make way.

"...Say that again, what did you just say?"

"Ah... T-That is..."

"Just because I protect you and bring you food, do I seem like an easy target to you?"

Only then did the man realize who he had spoken to, his face turning pale.

"...Hey, what was your name again? I don’t even remember. Are you going to answer, or is your brain still not functioning? Look around you, this isn't Earth, age means nothing here. The one who should be groveling right now is you, do you still not get it? Or should I make you understand?"

"I-I'm sorry! I-I misspoke! Please..."

The man, now on his knees, begged.

Everyone except for our group was seeing this side of the regressor for the first time. Yet, even in this tense situation, she was considerate enough not to direct her aura at us.

Her killing intent remained focused on the man, who, unable to withstand it any longer, soiled himself.

"Hik... Hiiik... Hhhuuk..."

"Old man, watch yourself from now on. There won’t be a next time. Understood?"

The man, desperate, nodded his head frantically.

The regressor returned to her original spot and continued speaking, her face devoid of emotion.

"I am not your parent, I hope you all remember that. Anyway, let’s continue. We are still accepting volunteers, those who volunteer will be prioritized for food rations. If you wish to participate, raise your hand. Just to be clear, this is entirely voluntary, only those who genuinely wish to join should raise their hands."

A man raised his hand. It was Ahn Tae-woo.

"Uh... Mr. Ahn Tae-woo, are you sure? Of course, I’d appreciate it, but..."

"Yes. As long as Miss Yu-ju is okay with it, I would like to accompany her in the exploration."

'Why... does he look so excited?'

Ahn Tae-woo’s expression was strangely exhilarated.

"Thank you for your courage, Mr. Ahn Tae-woo."

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Yu-ju. I’ll be in your care."

"Since we have all the volunteers, you are now dismissed. Thank you all for your time. Those who are not participating in the exploration, please return to your previous positions."

The regressor seemed to have concluded that there wouldn’t be any more volunteers, and with that, she dismissed the group. People quickly dispersed, clearly shaken by what they had just witnessed.

"Exploration team, please come here. We have a total of... six members. Miss Song Ha-eun and Mr. Ahn Tae-woo, may I ask what weapons you use?"

"I chose a spear, just like Miss Yu-ju."

"Uh... I-I chose daggers... I was too overwhelmed at the start..."

"Hmm, so we have two spear users, three dagger users, and one with a blunt weapon and shield. Mr. Yun-seong is a dark mage, but..."

"...I may have changed my class to dark mage, but I won’t be able to use magic much. At most, I can cast two or three spells a day."

I could likely use magic a total of three times per day based on my last usage of it. On top of that, I could only cast a single spell at a time. I’d have to save magic for emergencies and rely on my blunt weapon and shield in combat.

"That’s more than enough, Mr. Yun-seong. Alright, everyone, gather your belongings. We’ll set out in about 30 minutes. Our goals for this expedition are for those without jobs to obtain one, to secure more food, and to search for clues to clear the tutorial."